Freyre stabbed at the fire with a long stick, causing it to flare up for a second before growing dim again.

"You're sure this will work?" Ruth asked the new unknown, who seemed unwilling to give his proper name.

The dark haired boy shook his head. "I'm not sure of anything anymore. But it should work."

Ruth sighed, pushing back her scarlet fringe with one thin, long fingered hand. Things had been getting more uncertain lately. A few months earlier, she'd not have agreed to a stunt like this unless it had been planned out, researched, test run at least twice. And now she was giving it the go ahead on 'should'.

My, the world really has gone downhill, she thought. But she couldn't really say no. Chances like this didn't come along every day, and if they could manage it...

It was a very big If, though.

"Freyre? Grey? Kerin? You guys okay with this?"

Kerin Russik looked up, her hooded silver eyes making her look permanently tired and slightly dead, as usual. The fire made them shiny, like two tiny mirrors, reflecting the orange light. She nodded, slowly, and then went back to attempting to sleep.

Grey, the second in command, ignored her, and stared in the other direction, arms folded. He didn't like the choice to take on the new boy, about whom nothing is known except his appearance. He could be anyone, an operative from the Authority, sent in secret to take them down. Grey was highly wary of him, and hadn't spoken except to ask for caffeinated drinks since the boy arrived.

"Even if we can manage it, no. But I'll join you on it anyway," said Freyre, who had stopped trying to provoke the dying fire and decided put on a padded green jacket with a fur lined hood instead.

Story summary

Several millennia after humanity has nearly committed self-genocide with the help of nuclear weaponry, society has rebuilt itself to a near-normal level. Those who can afford it live in a virtual world, whilst those who can't make do with reality. Of course, there are those who won't just 'make do'... Subreality!

Author guidance

01:35 AM GMT 20/06/12My throat still hurts. I have some lozenges with local anaesthetic in to stop it hurting, but they also contain a certain amount of sugar, it seems, so now I also feel slightly sick. Woo.

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